Today is the first Sunday of Lent. We technically are not in Lent on Sundays, for Sundays are always to be joyous occasions, celebrating the Lord’s Resurrection.
Our scriptures for this Sunday remind us of the cycle of sin, death and resurrection. Adam and Eve sinned because they dis-obeyed God, establishing a pattern which every person except Christ has followed to this day.
When Adam and Eve were in that beautiful garden, Satan, in the form of a snake came into the garden and urged Eve to eat fruit from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. What could be wrong with knowing the difference between Good and Evil? This was wisdom, right? We want to know what is good and what is evil? We want our children to know the difference between good and evil. We want our grandchildren to know the difference between good and evil. So what’s wrong with knowing the difference between good and evil?
The problem, you see, was that before that particular day, Adam and Eve only knew goodness. God had always treated them well. God had loved them. God had given them everything they needed to live – and to live well. God had simply said, “Don’t eat the fruit from this one particular tree, the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil.” And God even told them, “If you eat the fruit of this tree, you will surely die.”
Even today, these are wise and good words. There are many things children have the chance to do as they grow up. There are many things they can experience, particularly as teenagers. There are many things we all can experience as we grow older. But just because we can experience those things does not mean it is wise to experience those things. For since we lost our property and were kicked out of the Garden of Eden by God because we ate from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, Evil has spread throughout the world.
There are many older people here who can tell you about things you should not experience. I’ll use one example:
If you haven’t done it already, should you touch a hot kettle on a cooking stove? Should you grab a hold of it, seizing it solidly and finding out whether or not you like grabbing hot objects? Of course not.
Yet, as we grow older, it seems that there are always people telling you, just as that snake told Eve: “If you will do this, you will be just like people older and wiser than you. You will have wisdom.”
My friends, the man or woman that is wise has suffered much in his or her life. For you can only gain wisdom in three ways:
First, you can listen to older, wiser people than you, as Adam and Eve should have listened to God when He told them, “If you eat from that fruit, you will surely die.” God and godly people will always be ready to tell you the wise thing to do. Unfortunately, the snake is always there, too, telling you the deadly thing to do. The trick of having a good life is learning to tell the difference between the voice of God and the voice of the snake. So the first way to gain wisdom is to listen for the voice of God, the Holy Spirit, who will speak to you through godly people. The voice of God is a great gift to us. So surround yourself with godly people, particularly as you are a teenager, a college student, or a young adult – which, unfortunately, is the time when most people spend the least time in church.
The second way to gain wisdom is to read the Word of God. There are over a thousand pages in the Bible, just waiting for you to find out what God says is good and what God says is wrong. Read the Bible, go to Sunday Schools and midweek studies. You see, God is not just the God of old people; our God is the God of children, also. Our God is also the God of teenagers. Read the Word of God and discuss it with godly people and you will gain wisdom.
Soon after Jesus was baptized, the Holy Spirit led Him into the wilderness. For Forty days he fasted, and then he was hungry. And then Satan showed up, the old snake once again. He said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.”
Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”
Satan tried to use the fact that Jesus was hungry against him. Satan always like to attack us when we are hungry, or thirsty, or haven’t slept, or are sick. But Jesus knew his Bible and threw Bible back at Satan. So Satan tried to have Jesus kill himself.
Then the devil took him to the Jerusalem and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. 6 “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down. For it is written:
“‘He will command his angels concerning you,
and they will lift you up in their hands,
so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’”
Jesus answered him, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’”
Notice this time, Satan tried to twist the words of the Bible, using only a little piece of it to try to trick Jesus. He used the very fact that Jesus knew He was special to try to hurt him. But Jesus knew the Bible so well He continued to throw Bible verses back at Satan.
Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.”This time Satan tried to bribe Jesus, telling Him that he would have everything, be popular, and control the world. But Jesus still threw Bible verses back at the devil.
Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’”
You know, that is probably the most important verse in the Bible, for when you leave the other gods behind - money, popularity, power, politics - you can focus upon what is important.
Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him.
Just like Jesus, if you "worship the Lord your God and serve him only", the devil will also leave you.
Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him.
Just like Jesus, if you "worship the Lord your God and serve him only", the devil will also leave you.
Knowing your Bible well gives you great wisdom and allows you to fight Satan when he attacks you. Read and study your Bible. Memorize those passages that seem important to you. And you will miss much suffering in this life. The Bible is a great gift to us from God.
The third way to gain wisdom though, is the way most people gain wisdom. It is the way that Adam and Eve gained wisdom and the way people have gained wisdom ever since. That way is to listen to the snake and try things the world says will be fun, will make you happy, will make you rich and popular and loved by all the snakes and stupid people in the world.
“I dare you” is a common phrase that has taught more people wisdom than almost anything else, because “I dare you” and its companion, “Just try it!” leads to bruises, to the loss of money, to broken relationships, to injury, to nights or even years spent in jail, to addictions, to death. The third way to gain wisdom is not the best way, but, unfortunately, it is the most popular way.
I lost a friend a few months ago. In high school, my friend was very popular, she was very pretty, she dated and eventually married the most popular boy in his high school. He was handsome, he was athletic, and even played some professional sports.By the world's standards, he was quite a catch! But it was very clear, even at an early age that he also had little self-control. From first grade, he was always getting in trouble, and that continued during high school. And many godly people told my friend that she should stay away from this guy, but she chose to date him and marry him.
He drank too much. And when he drank too much he was mean. He beat my friend. He ran around with other women. And so, eventually, my friend divorced this guy. But it was too late. For it turns out that certain types of cancer can be transmitted from one person to another, and he had kissed so many different girls that he had this particular cancer virus, and he gave it to my friend. After fighting the cancer for about five years after she learned she had it, she eventually died. She was still in her forties.
I’ve lost other friends, friends I knew in high school and in college. Most of them died recently from heart attacks, from cancers, from lung problems. And most of their problems were because when they were teenagers and when they were in their twenties, they tried many things, things wise, godly people told them not to try, and they had fun for a few years, but now they’re gone because their bodies were damaged in those few years they were having fun.
If we follow our own way or the ways of the world, we will have much suffering and an early death. Even if we manage to physically live, it will be as though we died early in our lives. Many of you know people who are already dead in their souls – and have been for years – and they’re just waiting for their body to catch up to their souls. As Paul said, this is what Adam gave us – death entered the world through the one man and spread to all of us like a disease, like rot in a basket of fruit. It was inevitable. We could not help it. And so God sent us help. He sent us His Son, Jesus Christ, to show us another way.
Because of Jesus’ obedience, because Jesus listened to God and followed God’s commands, because Jesus sacrifice Himself on the cross for us, we have life. Just as He came back to life, we can come back to life. Jesus broke through the wall that kept us from God – we can follow Him through that wall to God’s love.
Tell your friends, tell your neighbors, tell your family this story. And in particular, as this time of Lent speeds by on the way to Easter, talk to your friends, your neighbors, and your family of God’s love, what God has done for you.
Be Christ for your loved ones. Speak the Word of God to your loved ones. Bring them the wisdom of God that leads to an abundant, eternal life.
I lost a friend a few months ago. In high school, my friend was very popular, she was very pretty, she dated and eventually married the most popular boy in his high school. He was handsome, he was athletic, and even played some professional sports.By the world's standards, he was quite a catch! But it was very clear, even at an early age that he also had little self-control. From first grade, he was always getting in trouble, and that continued during high school. And many godly people told my friend that she should stay away from this guy, but she chose to date him and marry him.
He drank too much. And when he drank too much he was mean. He beat my friend. He ran around with other women. And so, eventually, my friend divorced this guy. But it was too late. For it turns out that certain types of cancer can be transmitted from one person to another, and he had kissed so many different girls that he had this particular cancer virus, and he gave it to my friend. After fighting the cancer for about five years after she learned she had it, she eventually died. She was still in her forties.
I’ve lost other friends, friends I knew in high school and in college. Most of them died recently from heart attacks, from cancers, from lung problems. And most of their problems were because when they were teenagers and when they were in their twenties, they tried many things, things wise, godly people told them not to try, and they had fun for a few years, but now they’re gone because their bodies were damaged in those few years they were having fun.
If we follow our own way or the ways of the world, we will have much suffering and an early death. Even if we manage to physically live, it will be as though we died early in our lives. Many of you know people who are already dead in their souls – and have been for years – and they’re just waiting for their body to catch up to their souls. As Paul said, this is what Adam gave us – death entered the world through the one man and spread to all of us like a disease, like rot in a basket of fruit. It was inevitable. We could not help it. And so God sent us help. He sent us His Son, Jesus Christ, to show us another way.
Because of Jesus’ obedience, because Jesus listened to God and followed God’s commands, because Jesus sacrifice Himself on the cross for us, we have life. Just as He came back to life, we can come back to life. Jesus broke through the wall that kept us from God – we can follow Him through that wall to God’s love.
Tell your friends, tell your neighbors, tell your family this story. And in particular, as this time of Lent speeds by on the way to Easter, talk to your friends, your neighbors, and your family of God’s love, what God has done for you.
Be Christ for your loved ones. Speak the Word of God to your loved ones. Bring them the wisdom of God that leads to an abundant, eternal life.
No comments:
Post a Comment